NZ Lao eco-tourism project wins UN award

A New Zealand funded eco-tourism project in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (formerly Laos) won a United Nations Development Award for “significant achievement in the area of sustainable development and poverty alleviation”.

“I’m delighted that the UN has recognised one of New Zealand’s development projects in this way, says Associate Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Matt Robson.

“The overriding aim of the project was to allow local people to protect supplement meagre incomes through tourist guiding, tourist visits to villages and the selling of handcrafts, while protecting their traditional culture and lifestyles.

“This award shows a carefully designed and managed project can balance the two goals successfully,” says Matt Robson.

The Nam Ha Eco-tourism Project was implemented by Unesco in the north-west Lao province of Luang Namtha. The province has extensive forest cover and great ethnic diversity, and is beginning to attract significant numbers of visitors, particularly from North Asia.

Since 1999, New Zealand has provided some $840,000 in grants to the Nam Ha Eco-tourism Project from the bilateral Official Development Assistance programme.

The award - a $1,000 grant toward the project - was presented to the project team which includes two New Zealanders, in the Lao capital of Vientiane early last week.

For more information about the Nam Ha Eco-tourism Project contact: John Claasen, Development Cooperation Division, MFAT 04 494 8330